Is there any Autopilot that controls furler, winch, or other sail shape or angle? Probably only on large boats, but I would love to know if such a system exists or has ever existed.
Thanks
Thanks
Autopilot that controls furler or winch?
- Thread starter parobellum
- Start date
- Status
It's called
It's called "steer to wind" and you need a wind indicator to be able to do it. It will not however adjust your sheets, winches or other sail trim. For that you'll need about 4 million dollars and a megayacht with fancy computer controlled systems, or, a cheaper alternative called... crew.
For most folks, the features you are looking for can be found in a product called "Sea Ray"..
Set it and forget it..
It's called "steer to wind" and you need a wind indicator to be able to do it. It will not however adjust your sheets, winches or other sail trim. For that you'll need about 4 million dollars and a megayacht with fancy computer controlled systems, or, a cheaper alternative called... crew.
For most folks, the features you are looking for can be found in a product called "Sea Ray"..
Set it and forget it..Thanks - I am actually thinking about the multi-million dollar boats designed to be solo or near-solo sailed. Given that, does anything come to mind?
Wrong board
May I make a little tounge in cheek suggestion. If your looking at multi million dollar yachts, your more than likely on the wrong board.
May I make a little tounge in cheek suggestion. If your looking at multi million dollar yachts, your more than likely on the wrong board.
Believe me - I am not looking to buy, just wondering and the people here actually seemed pretty up on new technology, so thought I would ask.
There is no end to the wise-cracks this could evoke but in answer to your question, as someone already pointed out, there are such mechanisms which rely on sensors both within the sail and the mast and computer controlled hydraulic winches, furlers and vangs. My understanding is they are one-off designs engineered by Bennetti and Palmer Johnson et al for some megayachts and likely cost the equivalent of all our boats combined.
Where there is a customer, you can be sure there are those able to fulfill their "need".
Where there is a customer, you can be sure there are those able to fulfill their "need".
Actually, it shouldn't be all that hard to set up a small or midsize sailboat with advanced automatic sailcontrols without having to shell out a gazillion dollars.
Instead of gazing up at fully automated superyachts, for which Jim Clark's "Hyperion" remains the prototypical example (he was rumored to be able to sail Hyperion from behind his desk at home) one only has to study modern, radio-controlled model yachts (typically built at scales around 1:10) to find all or most of the electronic control components. The AMYA (American Model Yacht Association) organizes dozens of races each year, such as the East Coast 12 meter (really 60 inch) class fleet (shown rounding a buoy here).
Such highly controllable model yachts typically cost around US$ 2,500 to 5,000 including one or more $ 250 "smart winches".
For years now, some model yacht enthusiasts have even been working on building yachts that would be capable of crossing oceans. I believe there is even a big prize for the first model yacht that manages to cross the Atlantic (or has it already happened perhaps?
None of this answers the important question why one might want to do something like that of course. However, technically (and financially) building a highly automated 20-30 ft sailing vessel should be well within the reach of quite a few sailors.
Have fun,
Flying Dutchman
Instead of gazing up at fully automated superyachts, for which Jim Clark's "Hyperion" remains the prototypical example (he was rumored to be able to sail Hyperion from behind his desk at home) one only has to study modern, radio-controlled model yachts (typically built at scales around 1:10) to find all or most of the electronic control components. The AMYA (American Model Yacht Association) organizes dozens of races each year, such as the East Coast 12 meter (really 60 inch) class fleet (shown rounding a buoy here).
Such highly controllable model yachts typically cost around US$ 2,500 to 5,000 including one or more $ 250 "smart winches".
For years now, some model yacht enthusiasts have even been working on building yachts that would be capable of crossing oceans. I believe there is even a big prize for the first model yacht that manages to cross the Atlantic (or has it already happened perhaps?
None of this answers the important question why one might want to do something like that of course. However, technically (and financially) building a highly automated 20-30 ft sailing vessel should be well within the reach of quite a few sailors.
Have fun,
Flying Dutchman
- Status